Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has slammed US President Donald Trump’s claims she “begged” for a photo with him.
The pair met during the G7 Summit where the leaders’ relationship appeared to have become strained over the ongoing war in Iran.
They were seen sitting side-by-side, deep in conversation, but the US President described Ms Meloni as desperate for a photograph.
“She’s probably happy I talked to her. I didn’t have to talk to her,” Mr Trump said to La7 TV channel in a brief interview, after he asked the journalist about Italy’s prime minister.
“She begged me to take a picture with her. She wanted a picture with me so badly. I wouldn’t have taken it, but I felt sorry for her.”
The channel did not air the original audio, only the dubbed version.
But Ms Meloni responded denying the President’s claims, saying they were “completely made up”.
“Donald Trump’s statements are completely made up,” she said.
“I am frankly astonished. I don’t know why the president of the United States behaves like this towards his allies: it is not the first time, moreover.”
“I can only say it is disappointing that he does not show the same determination with the enemies of the West and of the United States, whose leaders he instead treats with far greater indulgence,” she said.
“There is one thing he should remember: neither I nor Italy ever beg.”
Ms Meloni was the only European leader to attend Mr Trump’s 2025 inauguration, and was previously a very vocal supporter of the President.
She was once described as “the Trump whisperer”.
However, the Italian government was so offended by Mr Trump’s comments that Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani cancelled his planned visit to the US next week.
“The serious and offensive words of President Trump towards Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni offend the whole of Italy,” he wrote on X.
With AP.
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